Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Safety and protection of systems and devices – Load shunting by fault responsive means
Patent
1995-08-15
1998-05-12
Gaffin, Jeffrey A.
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Safety and protection of systems and devices
Load shunting by fault responsive means
361111, 361118, H02H 900
Patent
active
057515077
ABSTRACT:
An apparatus for protecting an integrated circuit against damage from electrostatic discharges (ESD) includes a single ESD bus that is connected to multiple input pads through a respective diode. The ESD bus is isolated from the positive power supply bus V.sub.DD. The ESD bus is coupled to the negative power supply bus V.sub.SS by a FET-triggered SCR circuit. ESD charge on an input pad forward biases the respective diode and charges the ESD bus. When the voltage of the ESD bus reaches a predetermined threshold voltage, the FET breaks down, and triggers the SCR circuit to shunt the charge on the ESD bus to V.sub.SS. The threshold voltage is selected such that, in normal operation, voltages higher than V.sub.DD may be applied to the input pad without input leakage current.
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Walker Andrew
Watt Jeffrey
Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
Gaffin Jeffrey A.
Gossett PLLC Dykema
Jackson Stephen
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